Feeding apparatus for gas-producers.



J. A. SWINDELL.

FEEDING APPARATUS FOR GAS PRODUCERS.

. I AIPLIOATION FILED MAY 1, 190B.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' J. A. SWINDELL. FEEDING APPARATUS FOR (ms PRODUCERS.

' APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 1908.

Patentd Nov. 24,1908.

WITNESSES J. A; SWINDELL.

FEEDING APPARATUS FORGAS PRODUCERS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 190a.

2905, 1 1 7 Patented Nov.- 24, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' WITNESSES I v 'INVENTOR 4 v Q. 0. %mm,

$165 QM Q UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ALBERT SWINDELL, or RESERVE TOWNSHIP, ALLEGHENY COUNTY,PENNSYLVANIA.

acter to be injured bysuch h'eat,and in which v resume arrma'ros non'eas-rnonucens.

Specification of Lette'ra Patent; l Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

. Application filed May 1, 1905. smart. 430,295.

To all whom it may concern:

Be i known that I,"JOHN' ALBERT Swm DELL, of Reserve township, in thecounty of Allegheny and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented'a new anduseful Feeding Ap arutns for Gas-Producers, of which the ollowing is afull, clear, and exact description,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecificatien,

I i i y Flgures 1 and 2 are vertlcal sections ofone Fig. I 3.

My invention has relationfto a paratus whichhas been especially designedor feeding gas producer furnaces, although it may be used for feedingother furnaces.

The object of my invention is to provide means of simple, economical andefficient character by means of which successive uniform charges of fuelmay fed to the furmice and equally distributed within. the same; also toprovide means of this character in which there are no parts ex osed tothe heat of the furnace which are 0 a charthe parts are effectivelyprovided with water seals which will prevent the escape of gases fromthe furnace in the' operation of the parts.

The precise nature of my invention will be best understood by referenceto the accompanying drawings, in whichI have shown one embodimentthereof, it being premised, however, that variouschanges' may be madetherein by those skilled-in the art without departing from the spiritandscope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

In these drawings, the'numeral 2 designates the upper portion of a gasreducer furnace, WhlCh may be in general 0 any approved construction. p

3 designates a cylinder provided with a feed hopper 4 opening thereinand designed to register with an opening or pocket 5 formed in alongitudinally reciprocable piston 6 seated within the. cylinder, andwhich is actuated by any suitable motive devicei such as the owercylinder 7. The cylinder 3 is provide with an outlet opening 8 at thebottom at one side of the feed-hopper, said opening extending. through adepending pipe section 9, which is connected by a water-scal ing jointwith a rotating bent pipe '10 which IlSBS from a plate 11 rotatablymounted ,on the top or roof of the furnace 2. The water- 'beconveniently formed ,by the interfitting 14 having a cover or guardplate 15, the two flanges 12 and 13 being fitted together to constitutea rotary bearing for the pipe 10.

The plate 11, to which the pipe 10 is seplate 16{ secured to the top orroof of the furnace, said plate having therein two concentric circulartroughs or channels 17 and 18 intowhich extend circular flanges 19 onthe under side of the plate 11, this construction providing an efficientwater seal between the two plates. The plate 11' is mounted to rotateabout a central pin or shaft 20, and is provided with peripheral gearteeth 21 engaged by a pinion 22, which may be actuated by any suitablemotor (not shown).

v Formed through the roof or cover of the furnace are a number of feedopenings 23, which are arranged in a circular series, and

16 in position to successively register with the discharge opening atthe lower end of ing throughout the major portion of the top of thefurnace.

24 designates an outer series of openings, extending through the top ofthe furnace and normally closed by balls 25. The rotaryplate 11 ispreferably also formed with a series of poke holes 2-6 closed by balls'27. .By rotating the plate 11 to bring these holes 26 or some of theminline'with the feed openings 23, a suitable poker maybeintroduced intothe furnace at points inside of the poke holes 24.

with interposed anti-friction bearings In the construction shown, theupper plate 11 base series of rollers which contact wi'h the uppersurface of the plate.

The operation is as follows: be fed to the furnace isdelivered'intp'Jthe hopper 4, the piston 6 beingnioved'int'o theposition shown in Fig. 1 so that the pocket 5 is filledwith the fuel.The motive device 7. is then actuated to move thepiston 6 to bring thepocket 5 into line with the dissealing joint between the pipes 9. and;10may.

flanges: 12 and 13 on said pipes, which flanges are shaped to provide a.water space or pan the pipe10 as said pipe is rotated. InsteadThefueljth cured, 1s fmounted to rotate upon a metal which extendupwardly through the plate K 1 preferably provide the plates 11 and'16charge opening 8. The fuel is thus discharged trom the pocket 5 throughthe opening 8 into the bent pipe 10 andthrough said pipe into thefurnaceas soon as the lower end of said pipe is brought to register with one ofthe feed openings 23. In this manner successive measured charges of fuelare fed to the furnace and deposited at successive points around itscircumference, thus securing a practical uniform distribution of thefuel in the furnace.

Inasmuch as the pipe 10 will at all'times be more or less filled withfuel, the escape of gases from the furnace into the cylinder 3 is verylargely prevented. The piston 6 is also extended as shown at 6*, for thepurpose of closing thebpening 8 when the piston is in the position shownin Fig. 1. The water seal between the pipes 8 and 10 and the water sealbetween the plates 11 and 16 effectually prevent the escape of any gasesat these joints. It will be further noted that there are no distributingdevices adjacent to the point of discharge at the top of the furnace tobe affected by the heat, the cylinder 6 being suflicient-ly far awayfrom the furnace not to be affected. The entire device is simple, andpositive in its operation, consisting of but few parts, and those of acharacter which are not likely to become deranged.

It will be obvious that various changes may be made in the constructionand arrangement of the parts. Thus, any suitable form of rotary sealedjointniay be provided between the pipe sections 8 and 10; the water sealbetween the plates 11 and 16 may be of any suitable character; and themeans for rotating the pipe 10 and for operating the piston 6 may bevaried. Instead of using water to seal the joints between the sections 8and 10, and between the plates 11 and 16, sand or other suitablematerial may be employed.

What I claim is 1; In furnace feeding apparatus, the combination withfeeding apparatus arranged to discharge successive measured quantitiesof fuel and having a depending portion through which the discharge iseffected, of a bent feed pipe into which the depending portion isarranged to discharge, the lower end of the depending discharge portion,and the upper end of the bent pipe having flanges, said flanges beingeach of trough form, and one of them fitting Within and bearing upon theother and a guard plate secured to said ,fiaiigesand depending into thetrough of the upper flange to forma water-seal; substantially asdescribed.

2. In furnace feeding apparatus, the combination with a furnace having aplurality ing number of almed feed of feed openings at its top, of a.plate secured to the furnace top and having a correspondopenin ,asecondplate rotatably mounted on the rst named plate, and a bent feed pipesecured to and discharging through the last named plate, the first namedplate having a. space between two of its feed openings of greater extentthan the diameter of said pipe to thereby provide means for reventingthe discharge of the contents of the pipe into the furnace when thesecond plate and pipe are rotated over said blank space; substantiallyas described.

3. In a furnace feeding apparatus, the

combination with a furnace having a closed top portion of refractorymaterial with a. feed opening extending therethrough, a plate normallyclosing the said opening and mounted to rotate on the furnace top, abent feed pipe secured to and discharging through the plate, a fuelfeeding device above the u per end of said pipe, said pipe and the fueleed ing device having interfitting flanges arranged to rotate one uponthe other and forming a water-sealing vessel, and a flanged cover orguard plate secured to one of said flanges; substantially as described.

at. In furnace feeding apparatus, the combination with a plate securedto the top of the furnace and having a plurality of feed openingstherethrough arranged in a circular series, and also having concentricWater channels or troughs therein one at each side of the series of feedopenings, of a second plate rotatably mounted thereon and normallyclosing the feed openings, and a feed pipe attached to said plate andextending upwardly therefrom, said rotatable late having depending lipsor flanges whlch extend into the said troughs or channels; substantiallyas described.

5. A furnace feeding apparatus, in combination with a furnace having anarched top of refractory material and having a plate secured to itsupper surface, with a plurality of feed openings extending downwardlythrough said plate, a second plate rotatably mounted upon thefirst-named plate and carrying a feed pipe arranged to dischargetherethrough, means for effecting a water seal between the two plates,and poke openings in the rotatable plate adapted to be brought into linewith the feed 0 ening in the first-named plate; substantial y asdescribed. i

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

J. ALBERT SWINDELL. Witnesses:

H. M. Conwm, GEO. H. PARMELEE.

